


The Future of Oz

by 18lzytwner



Series: Wicked Fourth Series [3]
Category: Wicked - All Media Types, Wicked - Schwartz/Holzman
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2019-02-13
Packaged: 2019-07-03 08:10:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 21,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15814932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/18lzytwner/pseuds/18lzytwner
Summary: Months after the Wizard is locked up, Oz is beginning to turn around but is it all as rosy as it seems?  Fiyeraba and Glinda/Balfour.





	1. Chapter 1

"Fiyero…" she was trying to be gentle. She didn't want to freak him out.

"Fiyero," a little louder this time. Still no response. So she did the only thing she could think of, she elbowed him in the ribs.

"I'm up! I'm up!" He said.

"Good because I think we're about to have a visitor and I could use your help," Elphaba told him. He looked at her and then realized that he felt wet and so did the bed. He picked up the blankets and looked down underneath the covers.

"The baby!" He practically jumped out of bed.

"It would seem that this little one wants to come early. Please get Doctor Magi," she asked through gritted teeth. Fiyero headed for the door to their room.

"Pants!" She screamed at him. He was wearing nothing but his birthday suit and that would have been embarrassing as he was running down the hallway.

"Right!" He replied and quickly grabbed a pair from the chair where they'd been thrown the night before. Leave it up to his wife to be practical at a time like this. Wife. Baby. A lot had happened in the last five and a half months.

"Love you!" He shouted as he ran down the hallway.

"Your Highness! What's going on?" A guard asked as he blew past him in the hallway.

"Baby is coming! I need to get the doctor!" He replied without stopping. The guard took it upon himself to find the King and Queen and alert them to the development.

Now almost completely out of breath, Fiyero ran in through the doors of the infirmary. Doctor Magi was checking over the cook's assistant for what looked like a burn on his hand.

"Baby… is… coming!" He managed as he tried to catch his breath.

"Get the midwife and meet me down in the Prince and Princess's room!" Magi told his assistant.

"Yes Doctor!" Kapoor responded. Magi promised his patient he would be back and grabbed his bag. He then headed to the Prince.

"Any contractions?" He asked as they walked quickly down the hallway. The doctor was not a man who could run anymore so this was as fast as they could go.

"It looked like it. She was clenching her teeth when she talked to me. Why is the baby here now though? It too early!" Fiyero was concerned given what happened last time.

"It happens. Two weeks isn't too bad. I'd be more concerned if it were two months," Magi explained. Fiyero only nodded. They were closing in on the royal bedroom and they noticed his father standing outside.

"Your mother is already inside. You stay here with me and let the Doctor and your mother handle things until the midwife arrives," Tahir told him.

"But…"

"It is how these things are done son. She's in good hands," his father said. It was then that he pulled off his bathrobe and gave it to his half naked son.

"I'm…" Fiyero started.

"Nervous, scared, unsure of the future?" Tahir asked.

"All of it and maybe more," his son swallowed.

"You will be fine. You helped bring down the Wizard and Morrible. Raising a kid will be easy compared to all of that," the King chuckled. Fiyero just gave him a look.

"I'm proud of you son. You've become the man that I always knew you could be," he said.

"It's all because of Fae," the younger man smiled. Before his father could remind him that he had to have a good foundation for Elphaba to love him like she did, they heard her shouting.

"You remind her how much you love her when this is all over ok? She'll need to hear it," Tahir told him.


	2. Chapter 2

"You can come in now," Ayla wore this large smile on her face, as she poked her head out of the door. Fiyero practically knocked her over to get to Elphaba and the baby.

"Congratulations your Majesties. A perfectly healthy baby girl," Doctor Magi was smiling as well when he entered the room. Fiyero turned to find his wife holding the baby in the large cushy chair near the windows while the midwife helped to clean up the room.

"Oh Fae," he sank down into the chair that had been placed by the other chair. He could see that something was bothering her and that's when he noticed the baby's skin color. She was green, just like her mother.

"She's beautiful," Fiyero murmured, leaning over to kiss Elphaba on the temple.

"She is, isn't she?" That momentary look had flown the coop, possibly because Fiyero wasn't even worried about the baby's skin.

"Looks a lot like her mother," the midwife, Havva, smiled.

"Good thing too. She'd look pretty ugly if she looked like me," Fiyero said.

"Oh Yero," Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Have you picked out a name yet?" Havva wanted to know.

"We were still debating. We thought we had two weeks," Elphaba admitted.

"Not to worry. Until the little makes her public debut, you won't have to have one selected. We'll leave you be. Come and get me if you need anything," Magi said before leaving the room. Havva followed him out with the room looking almost as spotless as it had been before.

"I wanted to be in here but my Dad said that's not how things are done," Fiyero admitted to her.

"I wanted you here. Perhaps we need to change how things are done in the royal family," she said, without looking up from the baby. Her eyes hadn't left the little one since the medical personnel had left the room.

"Plenty of time for that. Right now I just want to savor this moment. How are you?" He asked.

"I'm exhausted but otherwise I'm fine. This little one would appear to be tired too," Elphaba finally looked at him and he could see the baby yawn.

"I can imagine. I love you," Fiyero said, leaning in so his forehead touched her temple.

"And I you, Yero my hero," she let her head relax against him. They just stayed like that for a little while, both amazed at their little girl.

Glinda heaved a sigh as she tried to stay focused on the financial reports that had been delivered to her office. Running Oz was harder than it looked and she wished that her best friend was here. She missed being able to talk to her and see her. There was a knock on the door and she called out for the person to enter.

"Lady Glinda, Lieutenant Balfour to see you along with Vice Ruler Ozma," her assistant Melody smiled.

"Please let them in," the blonde managed a smile. The two soon walked through the door, closing it behind them.

"Usually when there are two of you coming for a visit that means something not very fun has happened," Glinda said.

"Well that's not entirely true," Balfour said. She gave him a look.

"Ok so it's mostly true," he admitted.

"The Council wants to hold an emergency meeting regarding our neighbors across the desert," Ozma spoke up.

"It's been almost six months since we've taken power and we haven't heard one word from across the desert. Why now?" Glinda asked.

"Well we thought that the deserts were impassable. It turns out, they are not," Ozma handed over the report she held in her hands.

"Your father was alerted to a spy from Ix entering Gillikin from the desert. The man was captured and they are holding him for questioning," the Vice Ruler frowned.

"All right. Get everyone into the Council Chambers in an hour," Glinda frowned herself.


	3. Chapter 3

"We are in no condition to fight Ix or any of the other countries from across the deserts," Councilman Ta'rek, of the Vinkus, shook his head. The Council had started to discuss what the spy meant and what was to be done about the uninvited visitor.

"I would beg to differ. We are stronger than we ever have been. The Wizard's sympathizers have been driven from our ranks and every country in Oz now has Gale Force barracks to add to their own armies. Not only that, we have two very powerful witches," Captain Khalil spoke up. He'd been promoted to the leader of the Gale Force after his work to capture the Wizard and help to shape the new army.

"While there is no one who could best Princess Elphaba or Ruler Glinda, we have to look at what we have. The Princess is due to give birth any time now and is not going to be able to fight, should we need her. It leaves the Vinkus vulnerable and they will protect themselves at all costs before anyone else," Councilman Lake argued.

"I resent the implication Councilman. We all know that the Vinkus could have stayed put after defeating Morrible. Yet they not only rounded up support from their neighbors but also marched into the Emerald City. Without them, we would not have a free Oz," Glinda gave the Quadling a look.

"I resent it as well," Ta'rek gave a similar look to his cohort.

"Duly noted. Now, I think the best thing to do would be to find out what your father has gleaned from the captured man," Vice Ruler Ozma spoke up and looked directly at the blonde.

"I have sent Falcon Alp to reach my father. Until we hear back, we should try to not speculate. What I want is possible battle options and possible diplomatic options worked up. Until the purpose of the man's visit is discovered we must remain vigilant in case he is not the only one. Mopsi Pipt, you've been fairly quiet. Anything you'd like to share?" Glinda asked.

"Our last encounter with Ix was many many years ago. Before anyone here was born and perhaps before their parents were born. So we should do research on what the encounter was like. It may be a reach but it can't hurt," Mopsi smiled slightly. He'd gladly taken the position as Councilman when it was offered and the Munchkin Head Council had luckily found a replacement.

"Excellent idea. All right, anyone else have anything they want to add?" The blonde wanted to know.

"I would assume that we are keeping this under wraps for as long as possible?" Councilwoman Ama of Gillikin asked.

"Yes. We don't need to incite panic if it isn't necessary," Glinda nodded. There was a knock on the door and Khalil got up to answer it. They all focused their attention on the door, assuming that it was a message from Lord Arduenna. Within a few moments, Khalil left the door and headed for his seat.

"Well what it is?" Councilman Cengel from the Emerald City asked. He'd been quiet the whole meeting so far.

"Nothing regarding the spy. Just word from the Vinkus. They intend to make a public announcement in three days' time and that they wish for Councilman Ta'rek to return home as soon as he can," the Captain explained.

"Did the King say why?" Ta'rek was confused.

"No. Just that they needed to see you. I would imagine if it was urgent, they would have not bothered to send for you and just said what they needed," Khalil shrugged.

"I hope Elphie is all right," Glinda said.

"I'm sure the Princess is fine. Usually the only reason I get recalled is because the King values my opinion on something that cannot be discussed publicly. Usually just internal matters or matters he may feel the Council needs to know about," he reassured them.

"All right well everyone get to work. We will talk tomorrow about what ideas you have," Glinda stood and the Council stood with her before the blonde turned and left the room, bound for her office.


	4. Chapter 4

"We are in no condition to fight Ix or any of the other countries from across the deserts," Councilman Ta'rek, of the Vinkus, shook his head. The Council had started to discuss what the spy meant and what was to be done about the uninvited visitor.

"I would beg to differ. We are stronger than we ever have been. The Wizard's sympathizers have been driven from our ranks and every country in Oz now has Gale Force barracks to add to their own armies. Not only that, we have two very powerful witches," Captain Khalil spoke up. He'd been promoted to the leader of the Gale Force after his work to capture the Wizard and help to shape the new army.

"While there is no one who could best Princess Elphaba or Ruler Glinda, we have to look at what we have. The Princess is due to give birth any time now and is not going to be able to fight, should we need her. It leaves the Vinkus vulnerable and they will protect themselves at all costs before anyone else," Councilman Lake argued.

"I resent the implication Councilman. We all know that the Vinkus could have stayed put after defeating Morrible. Yet they not only rounded up support from their neighbors but also marched into the Emerald City. Without them, we would not have a free Oz," Glinda gave the Quadling a look.

"I resent it as well," Ta'rek gave a similar look to his cohort.

"Duly noted. Now, I think the best thing to do would be to find out what your father has gleaned from the captured man," Vice Ruler Ozma spoke up and looked directly at the blonde.

"I have sent Falcon Alp to reach my father. Until we hear back, we should try to not speculate. What I want is possible battle options and possible diplomatic options worked up. Until the purpose of the man's visit is discovered we must remain vigilant in case he is not the only one. Mopsi Pipt, you've been fairly quiet. Anything you'd like to share?" Glinda asked.

"Our last encounter with Ix was many many years ago. Before anyone here was born and perhaps before their parents were born. So we should do research on what the encounter was like. It may be a reach but it can't hurt," Mopsi smiled slightly. He'd gladly taken the position as Councilman when it was offered and the Munchkin Head Council had luckily found a replacement.

"Excellent idea. All right, anyone else have anything they want to add?" The blonde wanted to know.

"I would assume that we are keeping this under wraps for as long as possible?" Councilwoman Ama of Gillikin asked.

"Yes. We don't need to incite panic if it isn't necessary," Glinda nodded. There was a knock on the door and Khalil got up to answer it. They all focused their attention on the door, assuming that it was a message from Lord Arduenna. Within a few moments, Khalil left the door and headed for his seat.

"Well what it is?" Councilman Cengel from the Emerald City asked. He'd been quiet the whole meeting so far.

"Nothing regarding the spy. Just word from the Vinkus. They intend to make a public announcement in three days' time and that they wish for Councilman Ta'rek to return home as soon as he can," the Captain explained.

"Did the King say why?" Ta'rek was confused.

"No. Just that they needed to see you. I would imagine if it was urgent, they would have not bothered to send for you and just said what they needed," Khalil shrugged.

"I hope Elphie is all right," Glinda said.

"I'm sure the Princess is fine. Usually the only reason I get recalled is because the King values my opinion on something that cannot be discussed publicly. Usually just internal matters or matters he may feel the Council needs to know about," he reassured them.

"All right well everyone get to work. We will talk tomorrow about what ideas you have," Glinda stood and the Council stood with her before the blonde turned and left the room, bound for her office.


	5. Chapter 5

"Spill the beans woman," Fiyero said upon his wife returning inside the castle. The King and the Councilman were off to the Emerald City after a quick bite to eat and hasty packing. Now the Prince greeted Elphaba, still holding their daughter. The meeting had disbanded and Chistery was back on duty while the Queen went to check up on Sophia.

"Not here sweetheart. Do you think we could put Zara down?" The green woman asked. She never called him sweetheart so that told him she didn't want to speak outside of their own private chambers. He nodded and they quickly headed upstairs. Carefully, so as not to wake their daughter, Fiyero set her down in her crib. Elphaba motioned that they should speak on the other side of the room so as to not speak loudly enough to wake Zara.

"The suspense is killing me," he said when they finally plopped down on a lounge chair in front of the last window in their room.

"Chistery was just voicing his concern for Glinda. A spy from our neighbors could mean a lot of things but one thing he is most concerned about are the Dominions of the Nome King. If someone from Ix made it through the desert, then what is stopping our underground friends from attempting the same?" Elphaba explained what the Flying Monkey had signed to her.

"Since we are the closest to the Nome Kingdom, my father and his father before him set up a system to protect us should they make any moves through the desert. Especially since it was the way they came into Oz the last time. Back when dragons were still around, my grandfather asked them to enchant the sand within ten miles of the border. Basically, it is like quicksand and no tunnel can be sustained in it. Those that step on it sink to their doom," Fiyero said.

"But the borders of the Vinkus spread beyond the border of the Dominion. Does this quicksand cover the northern border near Ev?" Elphaba asked.

"It does. The reason my mother beefed up the border is because we don't know if the spell outlasted the dragons. Since they are all gone, the only way to test it is to throw a rock into it and see what happens. It should be an irreversible spell but seeing as it was not something out of the Grimmerie, I'm not sure that's true," he admitted.

"The Nome King would be stupid to try and enter the Vinkus since it was done before. The troops here are trained as well as they are and they are expecting a tunnel. Digging their way through the Vinkus to get to the Emerald City would be next to impossible and there would be little way for it to remain hidden. Still I can see Chistery's concern. If the spell has worn off and they do attempt something, it will mean all-out war," Elphaba frowned.

"That's why my mother is waiting for word from the troops at the border," Fiyero said.

"So that leaves us to wonder why Glinda called your father and the Councilman back to the Emerald City," she was still frowning.

"Perhaps the spy squealed. We have not conducted business with Ix nor any of our neighbors across the deserts in a long time. Mostly because of the Wizard," Fiyero shrugged. Elphaba nodded but she seemed far away. It was a lot to contemplate. She'd just given birth days before and now once again there seemed to be brewing. A soft knock on the door caused both of them to get up and quietly traverse the room. Fiyero opened the door and his mother beckoned them out into the hallway. They both did so, making sure to leave the door open a crack in case Zara needed them.

"How is Sophia?" Elphaba asked.

"Happy and thankfully so is the little boy she gave birth to," the Queen smiled.

"That's great but my guess is that you didn't come all the way over here to tell us that," Fiyero said. While they had wanted to know about the maid's status, it was something that could have waited until the morning.

"I have received word from the troops at our Western Border, the quicksand remains intact but they cannot tell if the ten mile line is still legitimate. All they know is that the catapult they fired with a range of about a thousand feet had the rock sink," Ayla relayed.

"Well that's better than nothing," her son said.

"Agreed but I'd feel better if we knew for sure how the spell would hold up," the Queen was obviously bothered by the possibility that it wouldn't hold.

"Would you like me to check my books to see if a spell like that could be broken?" Elphaba offered.

"Please do. In the meantime, let us hope that my husband and the Councilman will be safe on their journey and that Glinda's news isn't all bad," Ayla smiled slightly.


	6. Chapter 6

"Gentlemen and ladies, thank you for getting here as quickly as you could. There is much to discuss," Glinda quieted the group that met inside the Council chambers. It was two days after the King and Councilman Ta'rek had left the Vinkus.

"What is the hurry Ruler Glinda? The message we received made us nervous," the leader of the Munchkins, Mooj, said.

"A spy was captured from Ix in my home country of Gillikin. My father, Lord Arduenna, has been questioning the man and we believe that we have the answers we are looking for," the blonde explained. Those that had not known of the existence of the spy, audibly gasped.

"What do they want from us?" Mooj asked.

"Why did they send a spy and not a diplomatic emissary?" River, leader of the Quadlings, wanted to know.

"All good questions. According to the man, who goes by the name of Rivet, Queen Zixi wanted to see if Oz was truly behaving as the new laws dictated. We don't know much of this Queen Zixi but she seems to be attempting to size us up and determine if we threaten Ix," Arduenna spoke up.

"How did Rivet pass through the desert?" Mopsi asked.

"That he refused to say but given his physical condition, I would say that he probably did not cross it on foot. He is barely sunburnt and was not carrying enough supplies for days of travel. We have searched the border near where he was caught but did not find an animal who carried him across the desert. This either means he had help or there is some sort of tunnel system beneath the desert," Glinda's father spoke up.

"Like the Nome King?" Tahir wondered.

"Perhaps. I have troops searching as we speak but have no word yet if they have found something," Arduenna explained.

"So what is our next course of action? I would not be surprised if this Zixi is watching what we do with her spy," Ta'rek said.

"I would agree. So now, as we act for the entirety of Oz, I'd like to see what course of action we could agree on. Certainly we do not want to start a war, especially since our possible enemy can seemingly slip across the desert without being noticed," Glinda told them.

"I think you are right. We should be careful how we handle this," River spoke up.

"Before we get too far, my wife intends to make the announcement that Princess Elphaba has given birth to a beautiful baby girl, Princess Zara Ayla Tiggular. We intend to celebrate in the Vinkus and of course wish for all of Oz to join in, if they are so inclined," Tahir announced.

"Congratulations are in order then!" Mopsi smiled and extended his hand to congratulate the King.

"I'm not sure how I feel about being a grandfather but little Zara is quickly becoming the talk of the Palace," the King shook the proffered hand.

"Perhaps, we can use this as an opportunity to show Ix, that we have changed. A big celebration for the birth of a daughter of the former most hunted woman of Oz would do that. We all know that word of the Wizard's rule over Oz ended spread fairly quickly otherwise why would Queen Zixi send a spy to supposedly check up on us?" Glinda asked.

"I like your thinking Ruler Glinda. What does the Council think?" Ta'rek wondered.

"I say we throw the biggest bash this country has ever seen," Mopsi smiled. Everyone else seemed to be in agreement. Everyone except Councilman Lake that is.


	7. Chapter 7

"It is my great pleasure to announce that Princess Elphaba gave birth to little Zara Tiggular a few days ago. Both mother and daughter are doing well," Queen Ayla announced from her spot on the balcony, overlooking the Palace grounds. Everyone from the lower town had filtered in and there was much cheering and celebrating.

"In honor of her birth, we will throw a party, like none other! I think we all know that when the Vinkus puts their mind to something, we do it and do it well!" Another round of cheers went up.

"The King is away on business in the Emerald City and upon his return, a grand ball for all foreign dignitaries will be held as is custom. Though that is a few days away, I see no reason that we can't start celebrating now. Lieutenant Ash tells me that the boar hunt was very successful and as such, tomorrow we will have a roast for all of those in the lower town and those here in the Palace, where little Zara will make her debut. Tonight the royal mead cellars have been opened and every family gets their own bottle!" Ayla announced. The crowd went wild at that and the Queen quickly bade them good night.

"You'd think we'd told them that Morrible was dead again," Fiyero chuckled from his chair as she reentered the room from the balcony. The announcements were made from the balcony just off the King's private study.

"Well they love their Princess and I'm sure they are going to love their new Princess too," his mother smiled as she took a seat next to him.

"Only if I can get her to stop crying. I'm half tempted to check my spell books," Elphaba walked into the room, carrying the screaming child. Fiyero stood up, took his daughter into his arms, and she calmed down.

"Ah. So Daddy has the magic touch," he chuckled, before poking the baby's nose gently.

"Your father had the same but I feel like Doctor Magi should have a look at Zara," Ayla frowned.

"I already spoke to Kapoor. He is coming over as soon as he can. Seems that the cook's assistant, Amir, almost chopped off one of his fingers," the green woman frowned as she sat down in one of the overstuffed arm chair.

"That poor boy. Mr. Samuels likes his enthusiasm though," the Queen shook her head.

"Perhaps we should give his family a little more money. He's been to the Doctor more in the last few months than I think Mr. Samuels has been in his entire career," Fiyero suggested.

"I'll see what I can do. You can tell he loves what he does. I can just remember that first meal he made, all by himself, for me and your father. His whole face lit up and it was darn good," Ayla smiled. Fiyero chuckled and looked at his wife. She looked tired and in need of some decent sleep. He knew that with the baby neither one of them was getting much sleep but she seemed really really tired. Before he could say anything however, there was a commotion out in the hallway. Ayla stood up and headed for the door when she heard footsteps just outside the door followed by,

"Stay inside Majesties! The Flying Monkeys are meeting the threat in the skies!"

"Threat in the skies?" Elphaba looked at the Queen and she shrugs. Disobeying the soldier, she poked her head out of the door.

"Elphaba…" the green woman looked at her husband and he shrugged a little so as not to disturb the baby. Carefully, she got up and moved to the Queen and poked her head out of the door as well.

"Is that what I think it is?" Elphaba asked.

"If it isn't we're in trouble," Ayla said.


	8. Chapter 8

Elphaba moved out into the hallway and went to the window that both she and Queen had been looking out of. Without saying a word, she snapped her fingers, and her broom came flying down the hallway. She deftly caught it and turned to move toward the next window.

"You shouldn't…" the Queen started.

"I must. Stay inside until I give the all clear," and with that the green woman was off to the next window, which had a balcony. She opened the doors, mounted her broom, and took to the skies. There she saw that Chistery was attempting to have a conversation with the visitors outside the palace walls and she flew towards him.

"Chistery!" She announced her presence and was surprised to confirm what she and the Queen had originally suspected.

"Griffins…" the word slipped out of her mouth before she could stop herself. There they were, six of them. She had been sure that Morrible had killed them all. Chistery rushed to her side, not sure why she ventured out, and that broke her from her train of thought. His fellow Flying Monkeys kept a close eye on the creatures who could pose a threat to their new home.

"Princess, my name is Altan and we mean no harm. We felt it was finally time to come out of hiding. We need to speak to you or the Queen or the King," the largest one said. They all bowed their heads as a sign of respect and Elphaba looked at Chistery who quickly signed to her his thoughts. She nodded before speaking,

"There is very much to discuss but you must understand my concern for your sudden reappearance. Right now things are not as calm as they seem and your presence adds to the mystery."

"If we have a chance to speak, I know that we can clear some things up. It has been a long flight from our new home and if we may set down to have this conversation, we would be in your debt," Altan said.

"Very well. Then we must move this inside the outer walls of the Palace. Darkness is upon us and it will be a better place to speak," Elphaba nodded. She quickly signed to Chistery to retrieve the Queen and the Prince and bring them to the courtyard. He nodded and was away with the rest of his fellow Flying Monkeys.

"Forgive me for asking but he does not speak?" Altan wondered.

"Regrettably, we are still working on it. When he's flustered, he falls back into sign language. I do apologize if you were offended but it is the most effective way for him and the others to communicate still," Elphaba told him. The others had yet to speak and she was surprised by that. Still if Altan was an elder, the others would only speak when spoken to, especially in front of royalty.

"No offense taken Princess. We were attempting to figure out what he was saying but we were having a hard time of it," the Griffin explained.

"Chistery and the others are very protective of me and now our new home. So they met you without a second thought. The Vinkus has been very kind to us and it is more than fair that we return the favor," she said.

"You're her, aren't you?" A small voice from behind Altan spoke up. The green woman turned her head and noticed the smallest Griffin who was looking embarrassed.

"If you mean, am I the one they used to call the Wicked Witch, then yes. It is me. I have many names, most of them not very flattering. You little one, may call me Elphaba. It is my one true name after all," she gave the Griffin a wink.

"My name is Kelebek, daughter of Altan," she bowed her head towards the Princess as they easily landed inside the walls of the Palace grounds.

"Well Kelebek, daughter of Altan, when was the last time you had something to eat?" Elphaba asked.

"It has been awhile your Highness," Altan spoke up.

"Then I will see what we can do about that," she smiled. Lieutenant Ash approached and the Princess quickly explained that the guests needed food and quarters for the evening. He promised to get to it immediately. Quietly he told her that Doctor Magi was with little Zara now and that the Queen and Prince were on their way. She thanked him and then he took off to do what had been asked of him.

"My Queen, Prince Fiyero," Altan bowed his head and the others followed. The two had approached the group and servants with chairs were right behind them.

"Master Griffin, what has brought you out of hiding? I can only assume that word of Morrible's death and the Wizard's imprisonment has finally reached you," Ayla said as she sat down. The Griffins had lain down so that they could rest their wings and this put everyone at almost eye level.

"That news did indeed reach us. Also word that the Princess was safe. She is a hero amongst all creatures. Though regrettably, those are not the only reasons we came. I am Altan, last elder of the Griffins. With me are my wife, Lale, daughter Kelebek, brother Bahadir, his wife, Filiz, and their son, Iskender," he announced.

"It is good to meet you all. Why did you come? Where have you been?" The Queen wasn't pulling any punches.

"We and the rest of our community now live in Ix. We are safe there but it is also why we came. Queen Zixi has watched Oz from afar but I fear that soon that will no longer be the case. We do not know her true intentions but it is rumored she seeks to gain knowledge of Oz and possibly more than that. She knows of a way to cross the deserts, once thought to be impassable," Altan explained.

"A spy named Rivet is already here. I received word from my husband. He is in the Emerald City now, speaking to Lady Glinda," Ayla said.

"Then it has already begun. I'm not sure we can stop what may already be in motion," Altan frowned.

"What have you heard?" Fiyero spoke up. The Griffin was about to answer when a cry went up from inside the Palace.

"Zara…" Elphaba breathed. She hopped up from her seat and onto her broom, zipping into the Palace.


	9. Chapter 9

"What is wrong with her?" Elphaba asked the doctor when she approached him. By the time she'd reached the infirmary, Havva had managed to quiet Zara and was sitting in a comfortable chair cooing at the baby.

"I'm leaning toward colic. Were you or your sister colicky as children?" Doctor Magi wanted to know. He was pouring over a medical book of his. It had been a long while since he'd treated babies and he was trying to find anything that would explain the baby's behavior.

"Nessa was always sick but Mother was forced to eat milk flowers while she was pregnant so that isn't much of a surprise. Father despised me so I have no way of knowing if I was sick or not when I was so young," she explained.

"I am sorry. It could be that this little one has a problem with milk. Regrettably gas by itself doesn't really answer my medical questions. However, we can give her something for that to see if it helps," Magi said.

"Well you might as well give her some because this little one is looking for something to eat," Havva smiled as Zara started to fuss. Elphaba went to the midwife and took her baby into her arms.

"Are you hungry, little one?" A gurgle and some more fussing gave her the answer to her question. Havva stood up and led the Princesses over to a private room where Elphaba could breastfeed.

Meanwhile, Fiyero and Ayla had heard everything that the Griffins knew about and had now let them eat dinner and rest. Fiyero had made his way to the infirmary while Ayla quickly went to get a message to her husband.

"Where are my girls?" The Prince asked.

"Zara was hungry. They're in the room over there," Magi smiled and pointed in the direction of the room he'd mentioned.

"Is she going to be ok?" Fiyero's worry was evident.

"Right now we'll battle the gas and that might clear everything up. If not, we keep trying. Not to worry," the Doctor reassured him. That's when they heard Zara fuss. Fiyero was about to head to his family when it was followed by a

"BBBAAAAAAAARRRRRPPPPP!"

"What the hell was that?" Fiyero was taken aback.

"I'm going to need a bath," Elphaba called out. The Doctor, Fiyero, and Havva went into the little room to find Zara all smiles and gurgles while Elphaba's dress was covered in vomit.

"Oh my Oz," Havva tried to hold her breath.

"All righty. We'll take Zara, why don't you get upstairs and clean up?" Magi suggested.

"I think she's going to need a hand," Fiyero swallowed hard, trying to keep the food rising in his throat down.

"Yes, I think so but you're feeling better aren't you little one?" Havva wiggled her finger in front of the baby and she cooed.

"I guess we know what's wrong. Ok, up to the bathtub with you," Fiyero waggled his finger toward the door. Elphaba made no argument and the two headed upstairs.

"So I have no complaints about you getting naked but I can't actually do what I want to do with you…" he teased as he helped her out of her soiled dress inside their private bathroom. He had started to warm the water as Elphaba chuckled.

"Your brain has two modes food and getting me into bed," she smirked. Having just had a baby it would be weeks before she could involve herself in any extracurricular activity with her husband.

"Well I can't help myself," he chuckled, kissing her neck as he held her hand while she climbed into the tub.

"I know and I love you for it. So why are we avoiding the elephant in the room?" Elphaba asked.

"The Griffins and what they know, yeah…" Fiyero gave her a look.


	10. Chapter 10

The Queen expected a letter but as the sun began to go down on the following day and she had yet to hear from her husband, she grew nervous. Fiyero had been talking with all of the scouts via Bird or Flying Monkey and nothing appeared on the horizon at the Vinkun desert border. They were still trying to locate any underground tunnels with no luck. Elphaba meanwhile was helping Doctor Magi come up with some medicine for Zara. The little one was experiencing gas from her mother's milk and the medical man said as she aged, they'd need to see if other dairy items bothered her.

"I have a horse approaching! At least I think it is…." Corporal Sadik shook his head.

"What do you mean?" Sergeant Bahram asked him as he moved toward the younger man. Sadik handed him the spyglass and the Sergeant took a look.

"I see what you mean. Probably enchanted by Lady Glinda. Tell them to ready the gates but to not open them," Bahram instructed. The Corporal called down to the men at the gate and gave the order while the Sergeant followed the being on the enchanted horse. It wasn't easy as the horse was moving at more than a horse in a full gallop could normally.

"Men, rifles at the ready! If this is an unfriendly, I want to show them how unfriendly we can be!" Bahram shouted out. The response from the fifty soldiers was the sound of their rifles being cocked. It was loud and the man on the horse slowed, having heard it.

"It is I, King Tahir!" Bahram studied the now stopped man and quickly confirmed it was the King.

"Open the gates! Men at ease!" The Sergeant ordered before heading for the gates. The gates slowly opened and Tahir moved his horse through them. Afterwards the men quickly closed the gates behind him.

"I am sorry your Majesty. We're all a bit on edge around here," Bahram said.

"Understandable given the letter I got. Where is Lieutenant Ash?" Tahir asked as he dismounted. Quickly the stableman came up to fetch the King's horse, he was not alone however as the Griffins had followed given the commotion.

"When my wife said we had guests, I think she left out just who she meant," the King's surprise was evident.

"She probably did it for our own protection, your Highness. I am Altan, last elder of the Griffins. With me are my wife, Lale, daughter Kelebek, brother Bahadir, his wife, Filiz, and their son, Iskender," the Griffin made the introductions.

"I am very pleased to meet you. Thank you for warning the kingdom. I trust you have been well taken care of," Tahir smiled.

"We have. Your family and people have been most gracious to us," Altan said.

"Excellent. Now, I must speak with my family. It is important they know the developments from the Emerald City," the King told them.

"Of course, your Highness. Should you need us, we will be in the stables," Altan bowed and the others followed suit.

"We may need you but I could not ask you to fight for us. You have already put yourselves at great risk to bring us the news that you did," Tahir said.

"If you stand with Elphaba, then we stand with you, your highness" Kelebek was once again speaking out of turn.

"She has that effect on everyone doesn't she?" The king chuckled.

"That she does," Altan chuckled himself. Tahir quickly excused himself and headed inside the palace. The servants met him in the hallway and took his travelling coat while telling him that the Queen, Prince, and Princess were up in his study. He thanked them and quickly headed upstairs.

"So you've been busy while I was away," Tahir said as he walked through the door of the study.

"Never a dull moment around here, you know that," Ayla smiled and went to her husband, giving him a quick kiss.

"I have missed you too but I'm guessing we don't know when or what is coming next," he smiled at her.

"As the Griffins have laid out for us, Queen Zixi is looking to Oz to either find an ally or crush us before we can do any more damage. From the rumors going around, Ix is in the middle of dealing with the Dominions of the Nome King. The Nome Kingdom is not as powerful as they used to be and their access to Oz was cut off by the dragons. Their focus shifted toward Ix but Zixi crushed them before they could accomplish their goals. Peace has reigned ever since but it would seem the shakeup in Ozian leadership has caused her focus to shift. The Griffins say that Zixi had ordered the border between Ix and the Nome Kingdom fortified. Supposedly, it is nigh impregnable," Ayla explained.

"While our borders are soft because we assumed the deserts to be impassable," her husband nodded.

"Zixi has forced her attention on Oz because of my powers and of course Glinda's. We defeated Morrible and the Wizard, whom everyone thought to be unbeatable," Elphaba spoke up.

"I sense a recurring theme here," Fiyero smirked.

"Well it would seem that reputation was enough to keep everyone inside their own borders but that now would not seem to be the case. Glinda has ordered that all people of stature are to report here to celebrate the birth of little Zara. She hopes that celebrating the birth of the once Wicked Witch's daughter, who will also be a Princess, will satisfy Zixi's curiosity. However, I have bigger concerns. Rivet has yet to divulge anything and we've tried everything short of torture," Tahir frowned.

"So we are still in the dark," Fiyero frowned as well.

"For now but I fear there is another fish to fry," his father said.

"What else could possibly be going on?" Elphaba wanted to know.

"Without Glinda's knowledge, I have recruited Captain Khalil to look into Councilman Lake from Quadling country. He bothers me," Tahir told them.

"You think he's really a spy for Zixi?" Fiyero wondered.

"He doesn't have to be. He could be part of those that continue to fight for the Wizard's freedom. Either way, he's shifty and I don't like it," the King explained.

"Then we must move forward with all caution and try to plan Zara's party," Ayla nodded.


	11. Chapter 11

Two days later guests from all over Oz arrived to celebrate the birth of little Zara. Elphaba was nervous about how her daughter would handle the level of attention and noise and how the guests would react to a green skinned baby but Fiyero seemed perfectly calm.

"How can you be so calm?" Elphaba asked as she managed to get her dress into position. Fiyero helped her close the line of buttons that travelled down from the base of her neck to the base of her spine. The purple dress was a little larger than her usual size to accommodate for her post-pregnancy body but no one would have known she'd just had a baby the way the floor length gown fit her.

"I'm used to these kinds of functions. Everyone is going to congratulate us, lie to us about how cute Zara is, and then we're all going to drink way too much," he said as he finished up the buttons.

"What do you mean lie about how cute Zara is?" His wife turned around and gave him a look.

"People do that. You never hear someone say to the parents' faces – "your baby is ugly", do you? Not that we have to worry about that anyway. Zara is just as beautiful as her mother," Fiyero explained.

"Don't you think you're a little biased?" Elphaba teased.

"That may be true but only my opinion matters so…" he had that lopsided grin on his face. Elphaba leaned in and kissed him. Fiyero's arms pulled her close as he deepened the kiss. There was a knock on the door and they frowned as they pulled apart.

"It's time your majesties," the voice of Lieutenant Ash floated through the door. Elphaba went to the crib and scooped up little Zara, who seemed much happier now that the doctor had figured out what was going on.

"Shall we?" Fiyero asked as he opened the door.

"No time like the present," Elphaba swallowed while Zara gurgled. All three made their way out into the hallway to meet the Lieutenant. Then the group headed down to the large ballroom.

Fiyero had been right about the party of course, with one exception, Glinda. The blonde had travelled with Lieutenant Balfour, partly for her own protection and partly because they were joined at the hip, but only a select few knew that. The leader of all of Oz was enamored of the little Princess, which got Elphaba to wondering if her friend was hiding something from her.

The party was still in full swing when Elphaba started to get an odd feeling while talking to Councilman Mopsi Pipt of Munchkinland. Her magic bubbled inside of her and it bothered her. She did not often feel that way and when she did, it was her body's way of warning her something was coming. Looking across the room, she noticed that Glinda had an odd look on her face. The blonde had been chatting with her mother and father and now her eyes found Elphaba's.

"Are you all right Princess?" Mopsi asked.

"Perhaps it is just too much of a good time," Elphaba tried to calm him.

"Then why is Lady Glinda seemingly having the same problem?" He raised an eyebrow. Mopsi was no fool and Elphaba had always appreciated his honesty. She did not have a chance to explain herself however, when the ballroom doors were thrown open.

"Chistery!" The green skinned woman exclaimed. The Flying Monkey quickly moved to her and began signing away. Behind him, the Griffins walked into the room, which caused a stir.

"Altan what is going on?" King Tahir asked.

"Do you not feel it?" The elder Griffin responded.

"Magic," Glinda stepped forward.

"Lady Glinda," the Griffins quickly bowed their heads.

"What is all the fuss?" Everyone in the room turned their heads to the doorway to find a woman standing there. Her hair was like spun gold while her eyes were raven black, in stark contrast to her skin which was fair as a lily. She wore a grand flowing white dress and held a large ornate staff in her left hand.

"Who are you?" Queen Ayla asked.

"I am Zixi, Queen of Ix," came the reply.


	12. Chapter 12

Everyone in the room froze. The Griffins were the first to make a move however despite the seemingly deafening silence that had taken over the room. Kelebek guarded Zara, who seemed to be blissfully unaware of what was going on and her father and mother moved to protect King Tahir and Queen Ayla. Bahadir moved to Lady Glinda while Filiz and Iskender moved to protect the rest of the honored guests. There was screeching outside and that meant the Flying Monkeys were alerting the Royal soldiers. They would be in the room in minutes.

"Such a fuss over little old me," Zixi spoke finally, giving the crowd a once over look.

"A Queen of foreign lands is no little person," Elphaba responded, her magic crackled at her fingertips. She moved away from Mopsi, to put some distance between the Munchkin and their possible foe. She could feel Fiyero's presence behind her, moving closer to her.

"Princess Elphaba, please, the only person who should be made a fuss over is the future Princess. After all, is that not why you have all come to the Vinkus today?" Zixi wondered; a slight smirk crossed her face.

"Word must travel incredibly fast across the desert," Elphaba narrowed her eyes, the woman had given her no sign of her intentions and the green skinned woman was not about to let her guard down.

"Surely you've heard of a crystal ball before? I would have thought Morrible would have taught you better than that," the Queen of Ix said.

"What do you know of Morrible?" Glinda finally spoke up. Bahadir's body completely blocked hers from view but she didn't need to be seen to be heard.

"Enough. I sat back and watched as she attempted to rule Oz with that fool of a Wizard. What I was really waiting for was the one born of both worlds to show up and as my luck would have it, she did. She is the only one who can restore true order to Oz and the countries that surround her. Then again, I suppose you always knew that, didn't you Elphaba?" Zixi asked.

"So I've been told. I'm still not seeing why you sent a spy here only to show up yourself anyway," Elphaba responded.

"The timetable has been moved up. I could no longer wait for my spy or for your intentions to make themselves known," the Queen told them.

"What timetable?" Glinda asked.

"Long before I got here, the Dominions of the Nome King sent a spy to Oz. While this spy could not cross the desert, thanks to the dragons, he found another way, masquerading as one of your own. If what I have learned is true then all of us have to fear what is to come, especially since it is from the inside," Zixi was still being cryptic but Elphaba's magic no longer tried to warn her about what was in front of her. There was a nagging feeling about someone else in this room. Suddenly the doors to the room burst open and Royal soldiers piled in. Zixi managed to avoid them, using her staff as a shield that enveloped her entire body. That did not prevent the Flying Monkeys from encircling the foreign dignitary.

"Sergeant Bahram, seal this room. No one gets in or out!" King Tahir ordered. Quickly the men barricaded the doors and encircled the partygoers. The Griffins now moved from their positions of protection to the walls, in an attempt to help seal the room. There would be no way out for anyone trying anything funny.

"Is everyone unharmed?" Bahram asked.

"Not for long if you don't pull your Monkeys off of me," Zixi eyed them.

"Do as she says Monkeys," Elphaba ordered. They did not question her and backed away from the Queen and toward Elphaba. The green skinned woman turned to the King and he nodded as if he knew what others in the room did not.

"Sergeant, arrest Councilman Lake," King Tahir ordered. Quickly Bahram did as he was told. The soldiers brought him to the King.

"What is the meaning of this?" Lake demanded.

"The jig is up, as they say. Councilman, you and I both know you are no Quadling," Zixi moved from her position so that she could closer to the man. She cast a spell and revealed the man's true from.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you a Nome," the Queen said. Lake spat on her and Sergeant Bahram clubbed him in the back of the head with the butt of his rifle.

"Take him to the cells. In the meantime, I believe that we must have a meeting of the minds," King Tahir looked at Zixi.


	13. Chapter 13

"Now let us get down to brass tacks. How did you know the man I suspected would be a Nome?" King Tahir asked. The heads of state had been ushered down to the large meeting room while the other guests were allowed to continue to enjoy the party or go to their rooms.

"I didn't. The spell I cast would only work to reverse any spells that had been put on him by the Nome King. He has very limited magic but some of the spells he can whip up are only reversible by ones such as myself or Princess Elphaba or Lady Glinda. You had suspicions though which means that there is still hope," Zixi said.

"Why send a spy? Councilman Lake has been here for years and no action was taken. What about now makes things so special?" Glinda wanted to know.

"While not known for their patience, Nomes are immortal, so if they need to wait for kingdoms to rise and fall, they will. They hate those they call "Upstairs People", or those that can dwell on the surface without magic, because Nomes cannot survive aboveground. That is why I needed to recast the cover spell for Councilman Lake, without it, he would die before we could get answers out of him. As for now, legend states that the first born of the one from both worlds shall be even more powerful than their mother. That being said, Elphaba married a Vinkun Prince. While those from the Vinkus are not known for their magical abilities, they have the ability to commune the closest with nature and with all of nature's creations out of everyone in Oz. It is why there are those that worship the Griffins and why they were able to get dragons to cast a spell on the desert. Should the Nomes possess the first born then Oz help those who stand in their way," Zixi explained.

"Great Oz," Elphaba murmured. She felt Fiyero's hand grab hers and give it a squeeze.

"So they are coming for Zara," Queen Ayla frowned.

"That is my best guess. Crystal balls do not work to see what is beneath your feet so I am only guessing. However, my spies have seen movement aboveground as it heaves while the Nomes dig their tunnels. They are up to something," the foreign Queen said.

"How do they intend to enter Oz if the desert is not available to them?" Mopsi spoke up.

"I originally believed they would try to come the way my spy did through an old tunnel beneath the portion of desert that separates Ix from the Gillikin. All they would need to do would be to tunnel to it through the desert and around the section that the dragons had sealed off. But there is only one tunnel that remains in good shape and so far it has not been penetrated. What makes this more urgent are the rumors that they have found the last remaining dragon. Supposedly, he hid in the Dominions of the Nome King for his own safety once Morrible sent men out to kill his brethren. Since the Nomes could find no way to survive on the surface then he would be safe. You see casting one covering spell is easy but the Nome King doesn't have the power to cast multiple spells. My guess is that it was taking everything he had to continue Lake's cover," Zixi unloaded more of what she knew.

"A dragon?" Councilman Ta'rek couldn't believe it.

"One that could reverse the spell on the desert and send the Nomes right to the Vinkun doorstep," the Queen said.

"Now that Lake's cover is blown, they'll try to act quickly," Elphaba frowned.

"That would be my guess but only if they've convinced the dragon to help them. While Nomes are known for their trickery, they are speaking to a master of trickery and it would not surprise me if they do not succeed at first. However, some dragons can be easily bought with the promise of riches and jewels, of which the Nomes have plenty, since they spend all their time digging for them," Zixi told them.

"So we have a fifty/fifty shot that a dragon could be in our laps any minute," Fiyero spoke up.

"Or troops overrunning our home," Lord Arduenna frowned.

"I suggest that we beef up our borders and put every Ozian citizen on alert. If we are to fight them, we must be ready," Councilwoman Ama spoke up.

"Then might I suggest something?" Zixi asked.

"Of course," Elphaba said.

"Why not booby trap the tunnel that my spy used? Should they not want to wait for the dragon, we should at least make it harder for them," Zixi said.

"Then your troops will be unable to render aid to us if we need it," Fiyero pointed out.

"As a sign of good faith, I will give you a battalion of my own troops. We will then booby trap the tunnel and if the Nomes try to use it, they'll find they made a mistake," she shrugged as if a battalion of troops was no big deal.

"Then it is agreed. Let's get to work," King Tahir said.


	14. Chapter 14

"You have that distant look on your face again," Fiyero said as the two climbed into bed. Zara was down for the evening and troop movements along with Zixi's promise to send troops their way were already started. The party guests were going to return to their home countries in the morning, messages had been sent ahead to prepare for war.

"Sorry. There is just a lot to process," Elphaba told him. Her husband pulled her close and kissed her temple.

"If anyone can process it, it's you," he said.

"I'm still not sure we can trust Zixi but on the other hand, being overrun with Nomes doesn't seem like a good option either," she admitted.

"Zixi is a bit of a conundrum but I doubt she would attempt to drop in on the Vinkus if she really thought she had another choice. She had no idea the fate of her spy and rather than send more, she came herself. If you had ordered the Flying Monkeys or even the Griffins, they would have ripped her to shreds. Not to mention, you or Lin using your magic," Fiyero pointed out.

"True but there are fairly big stakes at play here. The one part of the prophecy that she conveniently left out, is the part about speaking to dragons," his wife frowned.

"Speaking to dragons? Don't they speak like we do?" He had no idea what she was talking about.

"Well technically yes but the prophecy states that the one born of two worlds can read the Grimmerie and therefore speak to dragons. It would seem that they wrote the book in their native tongue and that is why only I can read it," Elphaba explained.

"So Zara will be able to read it and speak it as well," Fiyero said.

"Possibly and that puts her in more danger, if there is actually a dragon still left in Oz," the green woman frowned.

"Somehow, I don't see the Nomes waiting even longer to try something. Zara was literally just born. She can't even communicate with us, never mind a dragon," he reminded her.

"Doesn't mean they couldn't use her to leverage me into doing something," Elphaba said. Fiyero frowned. That was absolutely true. Suddenly, a loud thud was heard from outside their window. Fiyero was out of bed like a shot and he grabbed his trusty rifle, which was leaning against the wall. He headed for the balcony door and Elphaba quickly followed him. Flinging the door open, they both got a surprise.

"Your Highnesses, I apologize for my presence. I did not want to startle you," it was Kelebek.

"Is something wrong?" Elphaba asked.

"No, I just felt that you should have extra protection, especially for the little one. I only wish to stay outside on the balcony and keep an eye on things," the young Griffin said.

"Well if you feel you must, then we happily accept. Will you be warm enough outside?" Fiyero was beginning to notice it seemed a little chilly outside.

"I will be fine. I brought a blanket," Kelebek smiled and jerked her head toward the wool blanket on her back.

"Then we will see you in the morning," he said with a slight smile before heading back inside. Elphaba couldn't help but think that the young Griffin was just as nervous as the rest of them.

"Get some good sleep and thank you," the green woman smiled before heading back inside. She was glad to crawl into bed and warm up. Quickly, the two royals fell asleep, exhausted from the day's activities and worries. Little did they know that Zixi's visit could not have come at a better time.


	15. Chapter 15

The morning came and with it the rain. Elphaba frowned as she watched it come down in buckets. She was feeding Zara while she stood at the windows. Fiyero was in the shower and Kelebek had retreated to the safety and dry of the stables. There was a knock on the bedroom door and she quickly covered up before bidding the person to enter.

"Your Highness," it was Lieutenant Ash, who poked his head inside the door. Upon seeing, the Princess, he quickly pulled himself inside the room and bowed as was proper.

"Lieutenant, what news do you have?" Elphaba asked.

"The troops from Ix have made it to our borders and are on the way here. They were split in half so that some may bolster the border and the rest will be here by nightfall, if they can manage with the weather. Lady Glinda and the other guests have begun their trips back home," he gave her an update.

"Good. What about the lower town?" The green woman wanted to know.

"We're telling people to be prepared. Right now trying to evacuate in this weather will only cause trouble," Ash said. As if to enforce his comment, thunder boomed and lightning struck outside.

"Miserable weather," Elphaba frowned. She could feel that Zara needed to burp when they both heard the shower stop.

"I'll leave you to it," the Lieutenant smiled and bowed before exiting the room. Elphaba pulled the baby out from under her cover and gently placed the girl on her shoulder. A few pats on the back and there was a

"BBBAAAAAAAARRRRRPPPPP!" It had Fiyero rushing out of the bathroom, clad only in a towel. He was glad to see that the noise had not been followed by spew like it had the last time.

"Is she always going to do that?" He asked as he walked over to his girls.

"Well the medicine that the doctor and I came up with aids in digestion but that doesn't mean there won't be any gas or what we discovered in her diaper this morning," Elphaba explained.

"You know, we've seen some nasty stuff during our lives but that has to be the worst," Fiyero almost gagged remembering what they'd found when Zara cried earlier that morning.

"I would agree," she chuckled as she laid Zara down in the bassinet.

"Are you all clean, my Prince?" Elphaba turned to find him rubbing his hair with a second towel.

"Yes, I am. Do you want me to watch Zara while you get ready?" He asked.

"If you could. I would imagine your parents will be wondering why we aren't down to breakfast yet," she said. They both heard Fiyero's stomach growl, which made Elphaba chuckle before heading into the bathroom to get cleaned up. Fiyero quickly went about the room getting dressed and keeping an eye on Zara at the same time. His wife exited the bathroom, wrapped in a towel and quickly put one on her head, wrapping her hair up.

"What did I say about you being all undressed like that?" He teased.

"Yes well I could say the same to you. Now let's both stay focused on getting ready," Elphaba tried to get him to stay on point when there was a knock on the door. She slipped back into the bathroom while Fiyero answered it.

"Havva, it's good to see you. I'm guessing you're here for babysitting duties," he said.

"I am. Doctor Magi would like it if we visited him before we spend our day in the nursery," the midwife smiled.

"She seems fine," Fiyero grew concerned.

"As I am sure she is. I'm thinking it's more of a social call than anything else," Havva winked.

"Ah well we cannot deprive him of that," the Prince chuckled. He helped the midwife get Zara out of bed and swaddled in her blanket before the woman was off heading down to the infirmary.

"Glad to see you could join us," Tahir chuckled as the couple walked into breakfast fifteen minutes later.

"I'm famished," Fiyero smirked as the cook came out of the kitchen and quickly took their orders. The royal couples chatted while they waited for Fiyero and Elphaba's breakfasts. Soon the two were eating and enjoying everyone's company. That was until Elphaba dropped her fork. The green woman squeezed her eyes shut, put a hand on either side of her head, and let out a scream.

"Fae, what is it?" Fiyero asked. She didn't answer him and quickly Ayla shouted for someone to fetch the doctor.


	16. Chapter 16

"It seems to have passed but I could not begin to tell you what it was," Doctor Magi frowned. He had ordered the soldiers who had come running at the sounds of the scream to take the Princess down to the infirmary. She'd promptly passed out when they tried to help her out of her chair. Fiyero was understandably concerned and had followed them down there along with his parents.

"I've got a bad feeling," the Prince frowned. He was sitting in a chair next to the bed where Elphaba lay, still unconscious. Wanting her to know that she wasn't alone, he held her hand, hoping she'd open her eyes.

"As do I. Miss Elphaba has been very healthy as of late so the only answer that remains is…" Magi trailed off.

"Her magic," Ayla finished.

"Yes, I would say so. Perhaps we could borrow one of the Griffins and they could tell us something about what happened," the doctor suggested.

"It could not hurt. It's not as if we can get Glinda back here yet. She's still coordinating in the Emerald City," Tahir said. He turned to a nearby guard and ordered him to fetch one of the Griffins. The man was off like a shot.

"We are still without the reinforcements from Ix and we are spread thin with keeping troops at the borders. I would hate to still have people in the lower town if our enemies should show up," Ayla worried.

"I would agree but until we know what is going on with Elphaba, I don't think we should move anyone. No point in starting a panic," her husband said.

"I would concur, I just don't like it," Ayla gave him a slight smile.

"I don't either," Tahir admitted.

"I hear that the Princess needs help," Altan spoke as he entered the infirmary. Kelebeck was right behind him.

"Something happened at the breakfast table and we have no explanation for it. She grabbed her head, screamed, and passed out," Fiyero said.

"I take it that that isn't normal behavior," the elder Griffin said.

"Definitely not," the Prince told him.

"Ok, I'm going to try something but I need Kelebeck's help. We must do this, if it is what I think it is," Altan said.

"That sounds ominous," Fiyero swallowed. The elder Griffin moved next to Elphaba on the other side of the bed. Kelebeck sat back on her haunches and put her two front legs over the green woman's midsection while her father placed one of his claws on Elphaba's forehead. It had been said that Griffin's claws had medicinal properties and their feathers were said to cure the blind. Right now, Fiyero just wanted Elphaba to wake up.

Altan began chanting in a language that no one recognized. When he stopped the look on his face told them that something was wrong. Not being deterred, he tried again but again he found he couldn't do what he thought he should be able to.

"What's wrong?" Fiyero asked.

"I cannot reach her," Altan frowned.

"How can that be?" Ayla wanted to know.

"Because she isn't alone in there," the Griffin said.


	17. Chapter 17

"How is that possible?" Fiyero asked.

"She is the daughter of two worlds. Only she can communicate with the dragon," Altan told them.

"So Zixi was right. A dragon still exists," King Tahir couldn't believe it.

"It would seem. I cannot bring her out of it. Only the dragon or Elphaba can end what has begun. Since we have proof of a dragon, I may suggest that the lower town start the evacuation process. The weather has not gotten better but having the civilians caught outside the palace walls will be dangerous," Altan said.

"Get Lieutenant Ash. Tell him that the evacuation of the lower town must begin immediately," Queen Ayla told the solder nearby. He quickly nodded and rushed off to find the Lieutenant.

"Fiyero, we must begin to prepare the troops and warn Glinda," Tahir said.

"Yes we must," the Prince agreed but he knew that he must leave his wife to do both tasks.

"I will watch over her, my Prince," Kelebeck let him know.

"Thank you," he smiled at the young Griffin before standing from his seat. He leaned over and kissed Elphaba on the temple before moving toward his parents. They left the infirmary and Altan followed, offering his help in any way that he could. Doctor Magi patted Kelebeck on the shoulder and then returned to his other patients.

Glinda paced back and forth in her office. The Council had been upset that they had been infiltrated and demanded that the Quadlings be held responsible for the betrayal. The blonde had reassured them that the correct people would be held responsible. Captain Khalil had instructed the Gale Force troops located in Quadling country to conduct an investigation and they had the authority to arrest anyone found to have been helping Lake. They were then told to bring them to the Emerald City for trial.

"You're going to wear a hole in the floor," Lieutenant Balfour was standing in the open doorway.

"We've had a spy in our midst for a long time. At first, I figured there might be a Wizard sympathizer, lurking nearby, but I had no idea that they would be for some threat outside of Oz," the blonde said.

"Well you can't blame yourself. We've been a tad busy. Cleaning up the Wizard's mess and all," Balfour moved into the room, closing the door behind him. He wrapped his arms around the petite woman and pulled her close.

"The people who still believe in the Wizard are waiting for an opportunity to point out my weaknesses," she reminded him.

"Then you remind them that Lake was on the Quadling Council for ten years before he started working for this Council," he reminded her.

"I may be able to blame them for that but we don't need to be upsetting our allies in a time like this," the blonde said.

"Speaking of which, Khalil has troops gathered for departure to the Vinkus," Balfour told her.

"Good. We will leave as soon as possible. There is no way to tell when the enemy will rear its ugly head," Glinda frowned. That's when they heard a shout from the hallway. The two quickly opened the door and were met by Basheer.

"A message from the Vinkus!" He announced.


	18. Chapter 18

"You want to run that by me again?" Balfour asked after Glinda had read the contents of the message aloud.

"So it isn't just me then," Private Basheer said.

"Elphaba is somehow communing with a dragon. How quickly can we get troops to the Vinkus?" Glinda wanted to know.

"Too long to help with a dragon, even if you enchant the horses. We intended to send ground troops too who will only move as fast as their slowest man. We could then be leaving the Emerald City short on troops," Balfour frowned.

"Private, bring me the messenger Bird and the Captain, on the double," the blonde looked at the soldier.

"Yes ma'am!" Basheer was off like a shot.

"Balfy, we need to bring the Council and Ozma up to speed. Since this is a military matter, I will defer to Khalil's judgement but I think it best that I head to the Vinkus at once. We are down a very powerful witch and we still don't know if Zixi is really trustworthy," Glinda told him.

"You cannot go alone," he told her.

"I won't be. Khalil will be going with me. You'll need to command the troops," she said.

"Shouldn't I be the one to go with you? Khalil is a Captain after all. He was born to lead the troops," the Lieutenant gave her a look.

"The truth is if we are truly off to face a dragon, I need you to remain here with the troops. Ozma will need help and she needs to have a trustworthy man by her side to do it," she argued with him.

"Khalil has a family and he is plenty trustworthy," Balfour pointed out. They would not get to finish their argument as the Captain arrived with the Bird messenger, Boran, and the Private.

"Lady Glinda, Basheer tells me we're in trouble," Khalil said. He nodded at Balfour acknowledging his second in command's presence.

"Yes. The Vinkus believes that there is a dragon and it is busy communicating with Elphie, effectively putting her out of commission. The troops will not be fast enough to reach the Vinkus should a dragon try to fly into Oz. I must go and act in her stead. What I need from you is sound military options and we need to make sure the Council and Ozma are up to speed," the blonde told him.

"We promised reinforcements to the Vinkus. I suggest leaving the ground troops home. If you enchant a division of cavalry horses, they could reach the Vinkus in twenty four hours. It is the best we can do under the circumstances. Also, I would suggest you take Balfour with you. He knows the Vinkun troops and can interface with them and our men better than anyone. I can bring the Council and Ozma up to speed, while acting as Ozma's second, if need be," the Captain was quick to render his decision. Glinda looked like she might argue and Balfour was beginning to wonder just what was going through her head.

"All right, I will quickly pack a bag and then enchant the horses. Prepare the troops for reassignment. We leave in fifteen minutes. Boran, you will join myself and the Lieutenant in the bubble. I am sure that your King and Queen will need you," the blonde nodded.  _That leaves us no alone time to talk_ , Balfour inwardly frowned. Something was obviously bothering her and he wanted to know what.

Meanwhile, Elphaba moaned in her bed and Doctor Magi was quickly at her side. He'd been watching Zara but the little one was getting hungry and only her mother could feed her.

"Princess, are you all right? What of the dragon?" He asked.

"My head hurts but then again I suppose that is to be expected," she did not open her eyes when she responded nor did she answer his second question. The green woman heard Zara whimper and start to make a fuss and that made her slowly open her eyes.

"Someone is hungry but I'm not sure I can feed her on my own. I feel incredibly weak," Elphaba told the doctor. She was squinting and it was obvious that she was still dealing with residual pain.

"Not to worry, we'll be right back," Magi promised. He went off quickly in search of some aides, Havva, and the Prince.


	19. Chapter 19

"The dragon sided with you. He's not coming to the Vinkus?" Fiyero asked an hour later after Elphaba was done feeding Zara with Havva's help. The doctor then gave her some pain medicine that would not interfere with her feeding the baby. Once the medicine kicked in, the green woman was able to open her eyes fully and relay what had happened.

"That's what he said but as it was pointed out they are masters of deception. I have no way of knowing if he really means it," Elphaba admitted.

"Yeah that doesn't exactly give me a warm fuzzy about our situation," her husband frowned from his seat next to her infirmary bed. While she's been able to feed Zara with some help, getting up and walking around was not exactly in the cards yet. Between the dragon using her magic to talk to her, feeding the baby, and the fact that she hadn't actually eaten anything yet, she was very weak and it was something she did not like.

"The troops are at the ready right? The lower town evacuated? Glinda has been brought up to speed?" She asked.

"Yes on all accounts. Zixi's troops should be here in a few hours," Fiyero said.

"Then we've done all we can do. The only thing left is to wait," Elphaba sighed.

"Yeah that doesn't give me a warm fuzzy either," he shook his head and reach out for her hand. Giving it a squeeze he could tell that she was not herself.

"I heard that there was a Princess in need of some food," Mr. Samuels said from his spot in the infirmary doorway.

"Mr. Samuels, what excellent timing," Doctor Magi smiled as he made his way over. The two worked to get the cart containing the food over to the Princess.

"I could use something sweet," Elphaba admitted as Fiyero helped her sit up and make sure the pillow was supporting her back.

"You want sweets? That never happens," Fiyero gave her a look.

"I've never spoken to a dragon either perhaps it is just that," she shrugged.

"Well good thing I brought dinner and dessert then," Mr. Samuels winked as he brought the food to her on a tray.

"You are too kind. How is Amir?" Elphaba asked as she looked over the tray. It contained a healthy dose of carbohydrates and meat in one of her favorites, Vinkun stroganoff.

"He made the dessert so I think he's doing ok. He tries not to complain about his injuries," the cook admitted.

"Well he's a man dedicated to his craft. I am going to enjoy all of this very much," Elphaba smiled. Mr. Samuels bowed his head and then left the room to let her enjoy. Doctor Magi returned to his other patients. Fiyero, who had already eaten, eyed her food. He couldn't help himself.

"Good thing Mr. Samuels brought an extra dessert," she chuckled seeing the look on his face.

"The man knows me too well," he laughed as he went to the cart and scooped up a cup.

"Vinkun chocolate pudding. A simple dessert but one of my favorites," Fiyero told her.

"Is there something that you don't like?" Elphaba teased him. He gave her a wounded look before tucking into his pudding. They ate in comfortable silence for another twenty minutes before Sergeant Bahram and Chistery walked into the infirmary.

"What is it?" Fiyero asked before they had a chance to say anything.

"Lady Glinda has arrived with Balfour. The Queen was wondering if you two were up to meeting them in the study," the Sergeant explained. Fiyero looked at Elphaba.

"Go. With any luck when I'm done with dinner, I'll be able to stand up," she told him. He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the lips before heading off with the Sergeant, leaving Chistery behind.

"I'm doing much better Chistery," she promised him.  _I am glad to hear it_ , he signed to her.

"Where is Kelebeck? I could have sworn that I heard her voice earlier but when I woke up she was gone," the green woman asked.  _Griffins sent to help with lower town. Weather got worse and more help was needed for those that couldn't move on their own_ , he told her.

"Ah, I see. The weather has gotten better though," Elphaba said before finishing up her stroganoff. Chistery took her tray and then handed her, her pudding. She thanked him and then enjoyed the pudding.

"I suppose now I must go see Glinda," the green woman said a few minutes later.  _Are you sure?_  Chistery asked.

"Trouble in Oz waits for no one," she reminded him. He nodded and helped her out of bed.

"I'm not sure you should be trying to walk around just yet," Doctor Magi approached with a wheelchair. Elphaba heaved a sigh and nodded. Chistery helped her up and into the chair.

"Off we go then," the doctor winked.


	20. Chapter 20

The conversation had gone about as well as could be expected. Elphaba could not yet use her powers as she was still drained from speaking with the dragon. Glinda offered to be her stand in until such time that the green woman was well enough. The King and Queen laid out what battle plans they had put together with their Generals and Balfour seemed to think that there wasn't much else they could prepare for.

Now as the clock chimed seven, a shout from the walls surrounding the Palace could be heard. Zixi had been true to her word and the troops she'd loaned the Vinkus had arrived. Lieutenant Ash quickly took charge of getting them hot meals inside of the large tents that had been set up for their arrival. The King went down to converse with the leader of the troops and Fiyero went with him. They picked up Balfour on the way and had some discussions on what the plans were and who would be following whom once the battle began.

This left Elphaba to get some rest after feeding Zara again. Since she didn't have her strength back, it was decided that she should stay in the infirmary so she could get help from Havva or the nurses should Zara need to be changed of fed. Chistery tagged along, not wanting to leave the two females alone. Elphaba could sense his concern and knew that if he was on edge, so were the other Flying Monkeys.

"Elphie, do you think you can talk for a little bit?" Glinda asked as she approached her friend's bed in the infirmary.

"As long as you don't mind me keeping my eyes closed," the green woman smiled.

"Of course not," the blonde replied before taking a seat in the chair that Fiyero had vacated some time ago.

"I know you're worried about something and I don't think it has to do with the possibility of a dragon. Though at this point in our lives, I'm not sure what could be scarier than a dragon," Elphaba told her. She lay on her back, faced toward the ceiling.

"How can you tell?" Glinda asked her.

"That look on your face during our meeting earlier. What is going on? Everything ok with you and Balfour?" Her friend wanted to know.

"I…" the blonde paused not sure she wanted the whole room to know what she was thinking. Instead she grabbed her best friend's hand and placed it on her own stomach. It only took a few seconds for Elphaba to respond,

"That's a very nice dress but I'm not sure what I should be looking for here."

"So it's not what I think it is?" The implication was there and Elphaba knew what she meant.

"I don't think so but then again my powers are kind of low. Have you been feeling different?" The green woman asked.

"More and more I feel the need to be overly protective of Balfy and I don't know why. That seems to be it but then again my whole body seems to be in upheaval. I get nervous and sweaty and sometimes the thought of food makes me sick," Glinda explained. This made Elphaba open her eyes. She knew that performing a healing spell without knowing what was afflicting her friend could be incredibly dangerous.

"I suggest you pull Doctor Magi aside. We have to be sure you're one hundred percent if we're to really face off with a dragon and a bunch of Nomes," Elphaba told her.

"I suppose you're right," Glinda nodded. That's when the doors to the infirmary opened and in walked Kelebeck. She immediately moved toward the women and bowed her head,

"Princess Elphaba, Ruler Glinda, I was hoping to find you here."

"You were? What's going on Kelebeck?" Elphaba asked.

"Queen Zixi has arrived. She claims that the trap inside the tunnel connecting the Vinkus and Ix has been sprung. My father and my Uncle Bahadir have gone to confirm it," the young Griffin explained.

"So it begins then," Elphaba frowned.


	21. Chapter 21

"How long until the Griffins return?" Fiyero asked Chistery. He figured the Flying Monkey would be the best one to ask regarding flight times to the border. The two now stood at the Palace walls waiting to hear anything and waiting to see if anything popped up out of the ground. The rest of the Flying Monkeys and Griffins were on the lookout for any signs of a dragon and would act as an early warning system.

_It's about two hours to the border as the crow or Flying Monkey flies_ , Chistery responded.

"So perhaps a little shorter than that for a Griffin. I hope that our troops at the border will be sufficient," Fiyero heaved a sigh.

_They are well armed and well trained and backed up by the soldiers from Ix. They will fight valiantly and well_ , Chistery seemed very confident.

"More and more I realize why Elphaba loves you so. I hope that you know, how much that I have come to care for you as well," the Prince smiled at him.

_You flatter me, your Highness_ , Chistery bowed.

"It's the truth," Fiyero said. Their conversation was interrupted by Sergeant Bahram coming up the stairs.

"Any news?" The Prince asked.

"No sire. I'm fairly certain the waiting will kill me before the enemy gets here," Bahram admitted.

"You aren't the only one. I appreciate your honesty. I now know why Lieutenant Ash promoted you," Fiyero smirked.

"I do what I can. The Princess wishes to join us but Doctor Magi has told her to try and rest. I'm afraid that didn't go over well," the Sergeant said.

"Yes I imagine not," Fiyero laughed. Trying to tell Elphaba what to do was like trying to force a horse to drink water, it didn't work so well.

"Lady Glinda is at the ready though, should we need her. Though I have to admit, something weird is going on between her and Balfour," Bahram said.

"I did notice that. Something I intend to mention to him when this is all over," the Prince nodded. The Sergeant nodded and the trio fell into silence looking out over the walls. Suddenly, in the distance a large fireball could be seen.

"I guess we won't have to wait for the Griffins to return. Inform my parents that the border troops are in trouble. The only way we should be able to see any fighting is if the dragon is involved. I'm going to my wife. Chistery, get the Griffins back here on the double," they had their orders and quickly dispersed.

"Doctor's orders be damned. Get me out of this bed," Elphaba told Fiyero after he filled her in.

"Not the usual way we do it but all righty," the Prince waggled his eyebrows, trying to lighten the mood. All it did was earn him a light smack on the shoulder.

"Where is Glinda?" He asked changing the subject.

"Keeping Doctor Magi busy, now come on," Elphaba started to try and walk to the doorway but it was obvious that wasn't exactly in the cards. Fiyero scooped her up into his arms before she fell

"Get me to Kelebeck. She can help me," his wife said.

"How? You need to regenerate your magical strength, which will fix the rest of you," Fiyero looked at her, knowing that without physical ailments, trying to use magic would be disastrous.

"She is more powerful than you know. Come on," Elphaba pulled on his shirt and they were out the door and down the hall before anyone working in the infirmary noticed she was missing.


	22. Chapter 22

"Are you sure about this?" Kelebeck asked once Fiyero explained the situation. With all Griffins and Flying Monkeys at the walls, the Palace would be in good hands.

"It is what Elphaba says she needs you to do. I trust her and so should you," the Prince said.

"You can do it daughter. You are young enough that you will have strength after you do it. Princess Elphaba has chosen wisely," Lale, her mother, spoke up, having overheard the conversation.

"I've never done this on my own," Kelebeck said.

"I will go with you but you can do it," Lale smiled at her. Quickly the two Griffins moved with the Prince to where he left Elphaba on the Palace steps.

"Ah there you are. We haven't a moment to lose. Heal me Kelebeck, I know you can," Elphaba smiled weakly.

"I will do my best," the young Griffin swallowed and then took her front foot; her index claw extended and touched the top of Elphaba's head. Lale watched as her daughter chanted in the ancient Griffin tongue. Fiyero watched in amazement as Elphaba's color improved and she sat up straighter.

"That should do it. How do you feel Princess?" Lale asked.

"Like myself. Thank you very much Kelebeck. Now I must ask you another favor," the green woman said.

"You want to go toward the dragon," Kelebeck knew that it would be the only reason why she would risk using the healing properties of the Griffin's claw.

"I do. I may be the only one who can stop what is happening," Elphaba nodded.

"By the time you reach the border, the dragon could be on its way here and the troops all dead," Fiyero pointed out.

"Have you ever seen how fast a Griffin can fly while under an enchantment?" His wife smirked.

"Bahram! Fetch me my rifle and the nausea medicines!" Fiyero shouted to the Sergeant.

"Yes your Highness!" Bahram ran into the Palace and was back inside of five minutes. While they waited, Elphaba enchanted Kelebeck.

"Lale, thank you for letting me borrow your daughter. I hope that we can bring your husband and brother-in-law back to you," the green woman smiled, once she was seated on the young Griffin's back.

"I think I have very little say in it. Kelebeck would go even if I told her 'no'," Lale chuckled while her daughter blushed. Fiyero swallowed the medicine and Kelebeck helped the Prince up onto her back.

"Shall we?" Elphaba asked.

"Hang on your Majesties," the young Griffin smiled as she took flight. Soon they were zooming across the Vinkus and Fiyero hoped that the medicine would work. Flying was really not his thing.

An hour later, they arrived at the border, only to find what they expected to find, had not come true. Kelebeck landed and they quickly dismounted. Fiyero wobbled on his feet, completely unsteady. Elphaba grabbed him and held him up.

"Father!" The young Griffin called out seeing her father a short distance away. Altan looked toward them. Quickly, the elder Griffin made his way to her side.

"Kelebeck! Why are you here? You brought the Prince and Princess?" He was very surprised.

"I figured you needed help with the dragon. We saw the fireball from the Palace," Elphaba spoke up.

"It would seem your talk with the dragon has solved our problems. The dragon beat back the enemy and then double checked the spells surrounding the border. The Vinkus is secure. The only question that remains would be how do we get the troops from Ix home," Altan explained.

"Oh good," Fiyero smiled and then promptly turned his head and vomited.

"Oh Yero," Elphaba helped him sit down and Kelebeck went about seeing if she could help relieve his nausea.

"So what about the dragon? Where did he go?" Elphaba wanted to know.

"He said that he had some business to finish. I know not what he meant and I did not want to ask," Altan admitted.


	23. Chapter 23

With the border secure and the enemy defeated, Fiyero ordered all troops back to their usual bases of operation. Word was to be sent to all other border troops that they may go home as well. The troops from Ix, however, were to return to the capital and the Palace so they could meet up with their brethren. Altan and Bahadir promised to show the Ixian troops the way.

"Kelebeck, I think we had better head toward home as soon as possible. We have no idea where the dragon went and I really do not want to leave Glinda alone to handle him," Elphaba said.

"I would agree Princess. Though poor Prince Fiyero doesn't handle flying so well," the young Griffin pointed out as she knelt down.

"Perhaps a knockout spell would be better for him than throwing up again," Elphaba nodded. Quickly, the green woman climbed onto Kelebeck's back and then they retrieved Fiyero who was dry heaving into the bushes. The healing that the young Griffin had attempted had only partially worked and it seemed like Fiyero's body was just not having it. Elphaba suspected that there was inner ear trouble to blame but they had to worry about that later. Once he was on Kelebeck's back, in front of his wife, Elphaba used a spell that knocked him unconscious.

"Back so soon?" Sergeant Bahram asked quite confused, as they landed an hour later back inside the Palace walls. Darkness had long fell but no one seemed to be at ease.

"The dragon defeated the enemy for us and then took off. It would seem he did not come here though," Elphaba frowned.

"Is the Prince ok?" Bahram raised an eyebrow since Fiyero seemed to be sleeping. Elphaba chuckled and snapped her fingers.

"What happened? How'd we get home?" He whipped his head around, completely at a loss, which wasn't uncommon given the spell that his wife had performed.

"Stop doing that or you'll vomit again. None of us wants that," she said. Fiyero nodded and stopped looking around.

"You knocked me out, didn't you?" He asked.

"It was for your own good," Elphaba told him as Kelebeck knelt down and the two royals left their perch.

"So should we still be on high alert or…?" Bahram didn't really know what to do next.

"I'd say to be at ease. If the dragon intended to head here, he'd have done so. I need to retrieve a crystal ball and speak with Glinda," Elphaba said.

"Very good. I'll alert everyone though I still don't see too many of us sleeping tonight," Bahram admitted before saluting and then heading off to tell Lieutenant Ash of the developments.

"Thank you Kelebeck. You probably should get some rest now," the Princess said.

"That sounds like a good idea your Highnesses," the young Griffin bowed and then headed for the stables.

"So what do we need the crystal ball for?" Fiyero asked.

"To make sure the dragon is staying away from here and the rest of Oz. Also, we'll need to call Queen Zixi," she explained.

"Very good. I'll find Balfour and my parents. Let's meet in my father's study," he suggested.

"See you there," Elphaba nodded and they quickly split up. Elphaba worried that the dragon could turn on them at any given moment but she was more worried about what he was up to at this moment. Zixi had said that Nomes were immortal but was that true if they were busy being burnt by dragon fire? How exactly would they punish the former Councilman Lake for what he'd done? These questions and more raced about in her head as she made her way to find Glinda.


	24. Chapter 24

The next morning came quickly but there was still no word from Queen Zixi. Elphaba had tried to raise her via crystal ball the night before but with no luck. Everyone was still on edge considering that the dragon had not shown up in the Vinkus and that meant they had no idea where he was or what business he needed to tend to.

"So do you suppose the Nomes are dead?" Glinda asked at breakfast. The King, Queen, Princess, Prince, and ruler of Oz were in the private dining room, enjoying some morning peace and quiet, along with the food.

"Truth be told, if they truly are immortal, I don't see how but then again, dragon magic is very different from what we learned at Shiz," Elphaba admitted. The green woman had just finished feeding Zara and was looking for some nourishment herself. The baby was napping down in the nursery with Havva looking after her.

"Should we ask the prisoner?" The blonde wondered.

"I'm not sure he would know or if he'd give us a truthful answer," her friend said.

"You're probably right. Fiyero, why aren't you eating?" Glinda changed the subject. The Prince was sitting next to his wife but had yet to dig into his pancakes.

"Oh I will be, not to worry," he smirked as Mr. Samuels exited the kitchen holding a vial of something. Elphaba gave her husband a look.

"The first products of labor your Highness," the cook smiled as Fiyero took the vial and tested a drop of the amber liquid from inside the vial on his finger.

"A triumph as always Mr. Samuels!" Fiyero beamed.

"Do I want to know?" Glinda asked.

"The first batch of Vinkun maple syrup, Lady Glinda. It is not easy to make and even more difficult to make edible. Thankfully, I have my old secret family recipe," he winked and then was off back into the kitchen.

"You always did have a sweet tooth," Queen Ayla chuckled before taking the vial once Fiyero was done pouring the syrup on his pancakes.

"Look who is talking," he teased his mother.

"I much prefer the berry jam," King Tahir said.

"An excellent choice," Elphaba smiled.

"Where is Balfour? Was he not joining us for breakfast?" Fiyero spoke up.

"He…" Glinda heaved a sigh.

"What is going on Lin? The two of you seem like you're not communicating well," Elphaba figured since the blonde wouldn't talk to her when they were alone, she might as well try out in front of other people.

"Bahram noticed something was up and mentioned it to me, so I know that something is really up," Fiyero nudged.

"The Council is saying that I need to marry, especially now since a traitor was found in our midst. They are worried that without a husband, I will look weak to our enemies," finally Glinda admitted it.

"Did you tell them where to go? I certainly hope that Councilman Ta'rek hasn't been suggesting that," Queen Ayla said. She had been groomed to rule since she was a child, king or no king.

"I can't believe Mopsi would suggest that either," Elphaba said.

"Cengel brought it up one day and Ama backed his play. Of course, they don't know about Balfour and I, so I squashed the idea. Later, Ama pulled me aside later to tell me that it was only because she felt that I was lonely and it would do me some good to have someone to lean on. Khalil asked me if he should see if Balfour would be interested in the idea but I told him no. I want it to be organic, not arranged. Not that there's anything wrong with arranged but I would just like to hear it from Balfour rather than have him think he's obligated to. Not only that, I can rule Oz without a husband. It is not like that hasn't happened before," Glinda explained.

"I can see why that would be upsetting but that doesn't explain why you two aren't really communicating," Ayla gave her a look.

"How am I supposed to bring up that the Council wants me to get married when we haven't even been on any real dates? We've been keeping things quiet to avoid complicating everything for the public and ourselves and all of that has managed to happen anyway. Then I started feeling under the weather and that just added to the problem," the blonde heaved a sigh.

"Did you talk to Doctor Magi? What about Doctor Adnan?" Tahir wanted to know.

"I talked to Doctor Magi. He thinks my symptoms are brought on by stress but he promised to run some tests," Glinda explained.

"Well that settles it. You need to speak with Balfour. Be honest with him," Elphaba said.

"I agree," Fiyero nodded before shoving more pancakes into his mouth. That's when they heard a loud noise out in the hallway. Sergeant Bahram burst into the room and shouted,

"Dragon!"


	25. Chapter 25

Elphaba raced past everyone to follow the Sergeant outside. She figured she was the only one who could stop what might be coming as the dragon had bonded with her. Once the two were outside, she saw the troops bravely holding their weapons on the mythical beast.

"Lower your weapons!" The Princess ordered. There was some hesitance and she shouted at them,

"If he was going to kill us, he'd have done so already!" That worked and the soldiers lowered their weapons. As they did so, Elphaba climbed the stairs to the walkway at the top of the Palace walls. The dragon was outside the walls, seemingly waiting patiently.

"Good dragon, I do apologize for the troops. Fear can override all other thoughts and we were at war. Though somehow I have a feeling that we are not at war anymore," Elphaba spoke to him, absorbing the brilliant shades of red that adorned his scales.

"You may call me Bonescraper, your Highness. I understand the fear of men and of Nomes but I sense no fear in you, child of two worlds," the dragon spoke.

"As Princess, I cannot afford fear. It makes me weak in front of my enemies," Elphaba smiled at him. By now, she heard footsteps behind her.

"Good. You are the last of the Dragon lords and as such I will follow you as you command," Bonescraper bowed his head.

"I do not look to keep you, mighty dragon. All are free in the Vinkus and the whole of Oz. I only ask what happened to the Nomes back in the Nome Kingdom," Elphaba said. A hand was placed on the small of her back and the green woman knew it was Fiyero's. To her left, the King and Queen were standing with Glinda next to them. She quickly introduced them all to the dragon and he bowed his head.

"No one will need to fear the Nomes any longer. The borders are protected as my ancestors' spell still holds and the spell that I cast upon the Nomes will ensure that they never leave their own borders again. I have trapped them in a prison of their own making," he replied.

"We have one Nome left here in Oz. What are your suggestions?" She wondered.

"The spy who used magic to hide himself," Bonescraper nodded and paused.

"I suggest you remove the spell that was cast upon him and let him burn in the Ozian sun. Once the spell is removed, not even his immortal status can protect him from the sun. It is more powerful than most realize and will undo the immortality granted to him," he finally responded after some thought.

"He was a spy and he knew what he was getting into," Elphaba nodded, noticing that both Ayla and Tahir were nodding in agreement.

"Precisely. Or I could always drop him back into the Nome Kingdom so that his brethren can deal with his failure," the dragon suggested. The Princess nodded, knowing that there had to be another reason for Bonescraper's appearance in the Vinkus.

"Before I take my leave, I have but one thing to do, and that is ask what you require of me," he spoke up.

"I only require you to live your life and be available should I need you but I do have some questions that I'd like to ask in private," Elphaba told him. Bonescraper quickly moved closer to the wall and extended his right paw. Fiyero helped Elphaba up into the large paw and handed her, her broom. She then extended her hand to him and he got up on the paw as well.

Balfour had seen the whole exchange and quickly went up the stairs to be at Glinda's side. He had gone out for a morning walk and had just returned as the dragon had showed up.

"Are you ok?" He asked.

"We need to talk," she told him.


	26. Chapter 26

The next morning Zixi appeared as if she'd been waiting for the dragon to leave. The King and Queen quickly explained the situation and wanted to know how she'd like to get her troops back home; the way they had come now destroyed. Surprisingly, Zixi didn't seem all that worried about it and asked to speak to Elphaba and Glinda. Tahir and Ayla agreed that perhaps with three capable of magic, they would find a way.

"Prince Fiyero, may I borrow you for a moment?" Lieutenant Balfour asked. The Prince was out at the entrance to the lower town, overseeing the movement of the good people of the capital back to their homes.

"We're almost done with the emptying of the Palace grounds. Meet me by the stables in twenty?" Fiyero wondered.

"See you then," Balfour nodded and headed away from the crowds of people. As he neared the stables, he saw that Altan and his family were getting ready to leave themselves.

"Ah Lieutenant, it is good to see you," Altan smiled.

"Same to you. Leaving the Vinkus so soon?" Balfour asked.

"The King and Queen have offered to let us remain here if we so wish. However, our community is in Ix. I have been told that I may offer to any who wish to move to the Vinkus that they are welcome. What about you? Will you and Lady Glinda be heading back to the Emerald City soon?" The elder Griffin wondered.

"We will. I believe we are taking the prisoner with us so that the entire of Oz sees what happens to those who threaten our way of life," the Lieutenant said.

"Oh somehow I'm sure the appearance of the dragon pretty much seals the deal. No one will think to cross the Princess with a dragon on her side," Altan smirked.

"This is true. Though the whole thing makes me nervous," Balfour admitted.

"It makes everyone nervous. Even Miss Elphaba, I would suspect. At the end of the day, he is at the top of the food chain and everyone else is beneath him," the Griffin said.

"Very true. I guess the best thing to do is to try and resume some sort of normalcy. It's been a tough stretch," the Lieutenant said.

"Yes it has. The future is in your grasp. Things have changed for the better. Never forget that. Now, we must say goodbye to the King and Queen. Good luck young man. You may see us again soon," Altan smiled.

"Thank you. Good luck to you and your community," Balfour smiled. The Griffins left the stables and he watched them go. A few minutes later, Fiyero walked up to him.

"Everyone headed home?" Balfour asked.

"Yes. I think it is safe to say that everyone is looking forward to things going back to normal," the Prince smiled.

"I was just saying that to Altan," the Lieutenant smiled back.

"So what's up?" Fiyero had a good idea what was going on but he figured he should let his friend tell him.

"Glinda…" Balfour heaved a sigh.

"She's an incredible woman. I was just lucky to have two of them in my life," Fiyero said.

"She is but she explained to me everything the Council had mentioned and how she'd been keeping it from me. I understand why she did given our relationship and what we were trying to achieve but…" the Lieutenant seemed to be completely at a loss.

"Well you guys need to figure it out but maybe coming out as a couple may be enough to satisfy the Council and anyone who questions Glinda. She doesn't need a man to help her lead, per se, what she needs is someone who will have her back, her front, and any other sides that need covering. Now that she's at the top of the political food chain, there will always be someone trying to knock her off of it. Especially those Wizard-loving radicals who I'm sure have not completely disappeared," Fiyero suggested.

"I appreciate it. Now I suppose we should see what the ladies have cooked up for getting the troops from Ix home," Balfour said.

"That should be very interesting," Fiyero chuckled.


	27. Chapter 27

"You think this will work? I'm not questioning your abilities. I just…" Fiyero admitted when Elphaba and Glinda told him the plan. They had met up in the dining room as it was too late in the day to start ferrying troops now. The King and Queen had already learned of the plan and it was just the Prince and Balfour that needed to be brought up to speed.

"We completely understand your concern. It'll be a very large bubble and I've never attempted something like this," Glinda said.

"I should be able to bolster the strength of the spell and that should be enough. We don't really have any other option as the tunnel will be useless. Bonecrusher's spell made the boundary between Oz and Ix literally impassable. No tunnel can be built through it," Elphaba spoke up.

"How does Zixi get here?" Her husband asked, realizing that the Queen wasn't there.

"She snaps her fingers. That won't work for the troops," Glinda said.

"No, I guess not. How does she know that she's not snapping her fingers and landing inside of a wall or something?" Fiyero wanted to know.

"That I do not know. Without accurate coordinates, I would imagine that it is a risk. Though perhaps the use of a crystal ball avoids that," his wife admitted.

"Ah I see. Ok so you're going to bubble fifty men at a time and send them back across the desert. I'm assuming that Zixi will alert us if they made it or not," he said.

"Yes, via crystal ball," Glinda nodded.

"Well that seems easy enough but how long does a trip take? We march to the border and then bubble from there?" Fiyero wondered.

"That is the plan. The shorter the distance, the better," Elphaba said.

"Better get packing our bags then and get a good night's sleep," he said. Everyone agreed as Mr. Samuels brought out dinner. The meal was excellent as usual and everyone complimented the chef and his assistant before heading to their respective rooms to pack.

"The King and Queen have been quite accommodating to us. Not forcing us to sleep in separate rooms," Glinda said to Balfour as they entered their room.

"They have been. Perhaps we should continue the tradition when we get home," the Lieutenant told her, making sure the door was closed.

"Balfy, we were keeping us a secret to avoid the prying eyes and constant paparazzi," the blonde reminded him.

"Yes and then the Council suggested you get married," he reminded her. Glinda heaved a sigh and collapsed on the bed. Balfour picked up their suitcases and placed them onto the bench at the end of the bed. He began packing things they would need for the trips to the border. Some of their personal items could remain until they returned to pick up the prisoner before heading back to the Emerald City.

"You already act like a husband. Packing my bag for me?" The blonde sat up and gave him a look.

"Well you have a lot on your plate. The least I could do is help you," he said, looking up from his task.

"You're always helping me," she admitted.

"Is that a bad thing?" Balfour was confused. Glinda shook her head "no" and climbed off the bed to make sure they got what they needed into the suitcases. Ten minutes later, they were done.

"Fiyero said something to me earlier," the Lieutenant said as they got ready for bed.

"Oh and you were talking to him about our problems? Figured that Oz's biggest former playboy could give us advice?" Glinda wondered, giving him a look.

"The last thing I want is for you to be forced into something you don't want to do and that includes getting married to someone else," Balfour said. He was down to his breeches and standing only a few feet away from her.

"How noble of you," the blonde smiled as she stepped out of her dress, leaving her in her shift.

"At any rate, Fiyero said that you need someone who will have your back, your front, and any other sides that need covering. That got me thinking. I don't want anyone else covering any part of you," the Lieutenant had closed the gap between them and held her front to his.

"That is very sweet," Glinda said, beginning to feel that her beau was looking for more than just words to seal the deal.

"I just need to know one thing. We're doing this for us, right? No one else. Just us and how we feel?" He wanted to know. The blonde leaned in a little closer; the pressure mounting between them caused the Lieutenant to groan.

"I feel like the only reason we should do this is for us. When we get back to the city, no more hiding. Just us, out in public, eating dinner, or taking in a show. What we do in our bedrooms is not anyone else's business," she said.

"Agreed," he leaned down and captured her lips in his and they stumbled their way to the bed.


	28. Chapter 28

The troop transport went off without a hitch and everyone was glad for that, especially the troops who had been travelling in the bubble. By the time, Glinda, Balfour, Fiyero, Elphaba, and the small contingent of Vinkun troops that went with them had returned to the Vinkun capital, the King and Queen had heard from Captain Khalil. No evidence of anyone conspiring against Glinda with former Councilman Lake had been found. The Quadlings had promised to find a replacement for the impersonator and have them to the Emerald City as quickly as possible. Glinda quickly sent a messenger Bird out to the Captain to inform him that they were on their way with the prisoner and to make ready for their arrival.

"How should we keep our prisoner from getting away? We came by bubble so we can't remove his spell here and then travel to the Emerald City. He'll not survive the trip," the blonde frowned at lunch that day.

"And if we leave the spell on then I have to travel to the Emerald City. Why don't we do this? Take him to the Emerald City, the way he is, and then once the verdict in his trial is handed down, I can travel to the City. That would let us bring Zara to show off to Khalil and Aytac," Elphaba suggested.

"Sounds like a good idea. Do your Majesties have a good set of arm and leg irons for us to borrow?" Balfour wondered.

"Only the finest. You can keep them as a token of our appreciation. The blacksmith is already making us more," Tahir smiled.

"Well glad that's settled. After lunch we should head back. The sooner we leave the better the chances of not flying in the dark," Glinda said.

"I'll have the prisoner prepped. Are you all packed?" Ayla asked before summoning the guard from out in the hall.

"We are, thank you," Balfour smiled.

"Good. I'll also have your bags brought to the front of the Palace. I'm glad that this ended as well as it has," Ayla said.

"We all are for sure but I imagine it's not over yet. There will still be those who will fight everything Glinda does and we need to be ready," Fiyero spoke up in between bites of sandwich.

"I intend to call all of the Tribal Leaders together in the next few days. Make sure that everyone is up to speed though I think the sighting of a dragon will probably give away a lot of what has to be said," Tahir smirked slightly. Everyone agreed with that statement. Lunch was soon over and the group made sure that Glinda, Balfour, and the spy were on their way. Elphaba went down to the nursery to check on Zara and spend some quality time with her daughter while Fiyero promised to help his father before joining them.

"Hello Princess. Come to check in on Zara?" Havva asked as she opened the nursery door. Elphaba had knocked softly on the large door in case the baby was sleeping.

"I was. Hoping to finally spend some time with my little one," the green woman smiled.

"Luckily, she's napping finally. She refused to nod off for some reason. At any rate, that will give us some time to talk. Can we adjourn to my quarters?" The midwife wanted to know. Havva's room was a smaller room inside the nursery, complete with a door. This way her charge was not far away in case she was needed.

"Of course. Is something wrong?" Elphaba started to grow concerned.

"I'm not entirely sure," Havva admitted. The two quickly and quietly went into the midwife's quarters. Once inside, they sat down at the small table that leaned up against the wall opposite the bed.

"When did you start to exhibit your powers?" Havva asked.


	29. Chapter 29

The trial of former Councilman Lake did not last very long. There was no evidence to refute any of the claims that had been made by Glinda. The blonde was concerned that people in the Emerald City would think she was making it up but after having many of the people who had seen the Nome discovered back at the Vinkun Palace testify, that concern was laid to rest.

Not unsurprisingly, the Nome was found guilty of espionage. He had refused to give his proper name so everyone just kept calling him "the Nome". Balfour was a little confused by the move since it did not matter what his name was. No one in Oz had truly known him at all anyway and they knew no other Nomes.

Elphaba and Fiyero scheduled their trip to the Emerald City once the verdict was handed down. Promising to be there in a few days to carry out the sentence, the couple loaded up a carriage and began their journey. The Vinkun Tribal Leaders had just left the Palace themselves only a day before and the royals had been busy explaining the situation and the dragon. Everyone had agreed that Bonescraper was to remain safe inside the borders of the Vinkus, provided he did not pose an imminent threat to the people. Right now the dragon had disappeared and no one knew exactly where he'd gone.

"There they are, your Royal Highnesses," Khalil bowed upon opening the door to the Tiggular's carriage.

"Good to see you Khalil. How are things?" Fiyero asked, shaking the man's hand. His wife and daughter carefully exited the carriage and the driver took off towards the stables.

"Well. I feel like finding this spy has really cemented Glinda's future in the eyes of the people. Queen Zixi has retrieved Rivet and we decided that he could go without any consequence since they helped us avoid a Nome invasion," the Captain smiled.

"Excellent news. I think we all could use a breather from all this excitement," Elphaba smiled as well.

"Only if I get to see little Zara, whom I have heard so much about," Khalil smirked as he turned his attention toward the green woman. Elphaba chuckled and moved the blanket back from the baby's face.

"She is as beautiful as her mother. Thank Oz for that," the Captain teased Fiyero, who at one point had been called the handsomest of all the Princes in Oz. For that, the Captain got a look from Fiyero.

"You are too kind. I was concerned but no one else seems to be," Elphaba said.

"I think you'll notice how much we like green around here," he winked before leading them into the Emerald Palace to see Glinda.

The blonde was ecstatic to see them and quickly showed them to their room so that they could get settled. Zara was starting to get fussy and Elphaba wanted to feed her. A little while later, the three Vinkuns made their way down to dinner. Glinda, Balfour, Khalil, and Aytac were in the dining room waiting for them.

"Tomorrow we will execute the Nome. Hopefully, that begins a new peace here in Oz," Glinda smiled slightly as dinner was served.

"Peace would be nice. Any concerns from people regarding Bonescraper?" Elphaba asked.

"Concerns, certainly but nothing that makes me think we'll have trouble from the people. Not sure I can say the same about our new ally since no one really knows where he is," the blonde admitted.

"If I was him, I would be staying in the Nome Kingdom. Literally no one lives on the surface and with the Nomes below ground permanently, no one from the neighboring territories will have any reason to travel there," Balfour spoke up.

"Agreed which is why we need to look toward the future and the fact that my daughter has already exhibited signs she's her mother's daughter," Fiyero said.

"What is Zara up to Elphie?" Glinda was curious.

"Well a few times when she's frustrated, she's managed to create some energy crackles. Nothing that will do any harm but it certainly makes me wonder why her powers have manifested so quickly," Elphaba heaved a sigh.

"What's wrong?" Aytac wanted to know.

"I had hoped that she would get a little bit more of a normal childhood but it would seem that that might not be possible. Bonescraper said that it would be possible that Zara could be a Dragon Lord but he wouldn't be able to tell until she grew older," the Princess admitted.

"She'll have as normal of a childhood we can give her. If I wanted normal, I would have married normal," Fiyero teased and for which he received a playful slap on the shoulder.

"What are us old war horses supposed to do now?" Khalil chuckled.

"I mean really, Glinda, did you have to go ahead and bring peace to Oz?" Balfour teased her.

"The place needed a woman's touch. We all saw what happened when men led Oz," Aytac spoke up, unable to hide a smirk of her own. Elphaba had a large smile on her face while Glinda giggled.

"I think she's been talking to my mother behind my back," Fiyero chuckled.

"Vinkun women know a thing or two. Why do you think I married her?" Khalil smirked before leaning over and kissing Aytac's temple.

"Oh now I know she's been talking to my mother. What tribe are you sister?" The Prince wanted to know, swearing that the woman across from him looked familiar, but being unable to place it.

"Arjiki, much like yourself brother. I am the daughter of Ejder and Nida, cousin to your mother, Ayla," Aytac smiled. Fiyero practically spit out his pot roast and Elphaba had to make sure he wasn't choking.

"Why did you not say anything sooner?" Elphaba asked, once she was sure her husband was all right.

"It wasn't safe until the Wizard was gone and things had settled down. Only those in this room know and Khalil's family, outside of the Vinkus. Ayla and I couldn't communicate except in secret. If the Wizard knew that a member of the Vinkun royal family was here, he would have sought me out, and that was attention that neither your mother nor I wanted," Aytac explained.

"Well I hope that Adem would like to meet his cousin," Elphaba smiled.

"Sounds like a plan. Maybe tomorrow after things have calmed down," Khalil smiled.

"This is so exciting! We are most glad to have you here in the Palace. You are welcome anytime," Glinda was happy that things were certainly looking up. No one could argue with her. The next day would solidify the past as the past and they would move onto the future which was looking very bright.

**THE END**


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